1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a seat lock device for vehicles, and preferably to a seat lock device applied to a straddle type seat, for example, of a personal water craft or a land vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle equipped with a straddle type seat such as a personal water craft or a land vehicle, the seat is mounted on a seat mounting bed such that the seat can be removed or opened and closed. This type of a seat includes a seat bottom plate, a seat skin and a seat cushion mounted on the seat bottom plate. Generally, the seat is movably mounted on the seat mounting bed by a seat lock device that is disposed between the rear portion of the seat bottom plate and the seat mounting bed. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-162189 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,450), for example, discloses such a seat lock device.
The seat lock device disclosed in this Japanese publication includes, as shown in FIG. 7, an engaging member 102 made of a U-shaped bar member mounted under a seat 101 in a suspended manner and a hook 104 mounted on a seat mounting bed 103 and that couples to the engaging member 102. The hook 104 is integrally mounted on the distal end of an operating lever 105. The hook 104 and the operating lever 105 are held by a guide member 106 mounted on the seat mounting bed 103 such that they are movable alternately in a frontward and a rearward direction. Guide pins 107 which are protruded from the sides of the hook 104 move in guide holes 108 formed in the guide member 106 so as to guide the hook 104 only in the frontward and rearward directions. With a biasing force exerted by a return spring 109, the hook 104 is advanced or moved in the frontward direction and locking is performed by engaging the distal end of the hook 104 with the engaging member 102. To release the seat 101 from the locked state, the operating lever 105 is pulled manually in the rearward direction against the biasing force of the return spring 109, such that the distal end of the hook 104 is retracted. Hence, the hook 104 is released from the engaging member 102 and the seat 101 can be lifted.
With respect to the seat lock device having the construction described above, however, when an individual carries out the unlocking operation and the seat removing operation, the individual must perform two operations directed in two different directions. That is, at first, the operating lever 105 is pulled in the rearward direction against the biasing force of the return spring 109 using one hand. Then, the individual must lift the seat in an upward direction using another hand. In other words, both hands are necessary to perform the operations in two different directions.